


Lessons

by DawnsEternalLight



Category: Batman and Robin (Comics), Grayson (Comics)
Genre: Bonding, Brothers, Gen, Lessons, Sword Fighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-13
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-23 16:37:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7471131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnsEternalLight/pseuds/DawnsEternalLight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Damian is trying to teach Dick how to wield a katana and things are going well until someone gets hurt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lessons

The sword arced high over him. The moment Dick tried it he knew it was a beginner’s move, too high, and too wide to hit anything let alone deal any damage.

“Everything was wrong with that attempt, except for your stance, Grayson,” Damian confirmed blocking it easily before diving forward with his own katana aiming at his oldest brother’s midsection.

Dick just managed to block the blow, a grunt of frustration his only response as Damian continued his barrage. The practice had been running over an hour now and Dick still felt like a baby giraffe just trying to get its first bearings, all limbs with nothing to hold firm to as they swung wildly.

Damian on the other hand, looked like he’d been born with a blade in hand. Dick knew his brother was skilled with the weapon, it being his top choice when Bruce wasn’t banning them, it just took crossing blades with him to help Dick realize the extent of that ability.

Damian’s katana knocked his a little higher, “I told you to keep your blade up, Grayson.”

Dick grit his teeth, and adjusted his hold on the weapon before pushing into an attack, at this point he didn’t care if Damian was letting him push the boy back towards one of the cave’s walls or not, he was just happy to be attacking instead of defending.

To say Dick was unprepared for Damian to turn, run at the wall, and use it as a launch pad for an attack was an understatement. So far they’d been keeping to a specified area for their training. Damian was either getting bored or had wrongly assumed Dick would be prepared for that kind of attack.

In his surprise Dick thrust his own katana forward without thinking. He knew the moment he did it that it was the wrong thing to do, but he didn’t have enough time to move it as Damian’s flying form grew closer. His mind flashed back to another time, another place, another blade aimed at his little brother.

All Dick could think of as his katana connected with Damian’s side, his brother’s eyes going wide, was how stupid he was for letting Damian teach him with anything but practice weapons.

Damian hit the ground and a moment later the cave echoed with the sound of metal hitting stone as Dick threw his own blade aside to scoop his little brother into his arms.

“I’m fine,” Damian pushed against his chest as Dick carried him over to the cave’s medical table.

Dick ignored him as he set Damian down on the table and bent to check the wound, “It’s just a scratch,” Damian tried again but Dick’s head was ringing with ‘It’s my fault. All my fault,’ the thought too loud to allow anything else to register with him.

“It’ll need stitches,” he murmured half to himself as he cleaned the wound with a disinfectant pad.

Damian squirmed as the cold sheet touched the inflamed wound, “It can’t be all that bad, it doesn’t even feel- oh,” he cut off as he at last managed to twist himself in a position that allowed him a view of the cut while still allowing Dick to clean it. It wasn’t life threatening, but neither was it a scratch, “Perhaps it will need stitches,” Damian relented.

Dick hummed and he moved away from Damian to collect the necessary supplies, doing everything he could to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. He didn’t notice the narrowed eyes and suspicious gaze drilling into his back. His tunnel vision made him miss it even as he returned to the bedside supplies in hand.

“Grayson.”

Dick threaded the needle.

“Grayson,” a little firmer this time, and still Dick stayed focused on his task.

“Grayson!” This time the word was accompanied by a hand resting on his, stopping him from moving forward.

Dick looked at Damian, who was giving him a tight jawed frown, “What?”

“I’m hurt, not dying. Relax.”

A released burst of air and, “I know.”

“Then why are you acting like it’s the other way around?”

Dick turned his gaze away from Damian, “It’s my fault.”

“We’re not talking about the practice session anymore, are we?” Damian asked releasing Dick’s hand.

Dick turned his gaze back to Damian’s side, “No we’re not.”

Both fell into silence as Dick finished stitching Damian’s side. When he was done Damian hopped off the table and stretched, “Good work, Grayson,” he turned to look for Dick and found himself dragged into a tight embrace.

His side twinged and he frowned, “You’re going to tear the stitches.”

Dick didn’t let go, “Don’t’ care. I can fix them.”

“Tt, they weren’t that good.”

“I’m sorry.”

“We’re back to talking about the other thing again. Mind cluing me in?” Damian sighed.

“I let you die,” Four words and he’d said it. Admitted to guilt that ate him up every time he remembered that Damian had died.

Their sparring match wasn’t an exact mirror of what had happened, but it had been enough to spark the fear that he was going to lose Damian again. There were days Dick didn’t quite believe that Damian was back, didn’t quite believe that all was good in the world again. He’d seen Damian too little to shake the feeling, not that he really thought the terror would ever go away completely.

Dick tugged him a little closer, feeling his heart beat against his chest and remind him again that his brother was ok, more than ok _alive_.

“There were more factors at play than you, Grayson,” Damian said.

“I know.”

"Then stop acting as if it was your fault. It wastes time and energy."

Dick pulled away and frowned at Damian, "Why can't you ever just say 'I forgive you'?"

His brother blinked at him, his eyebrows knit in a confused frown, "Would that help?"

Dick wanted to laugh, sometimes the obvious thing to do was the only thing Damian didn't think of. For a kid who thought he knew everything Dami always seemed to be learning.

"Try it and see."

Damian sighed, and Dick could tell he was trying not to roll his eyes. He could just hear Damian's usual retort that this was foolish and if Dick knew it wasn't his fault then he should just accept it and move on.

"All is forgiven, Grayson. I couldn't hold it against you even if it was your fault."

Dick crossed his arms as he regarded Damian, "Because I'm your favorite brother and you love me most?"

Damian scowled, "No, because we're partners and partners always forgive."

Dick's face broke into a wide smile that pressed against his cheeks and he dove forward to hug his brother again, "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Little D!"

"Are you going to hug me forever, or can we get back to practicing?"

"Hugging forever is an option?"

"No it is not.”

“Too late, I’ve already decided.”

“Grayson!”


End file.
